plankton

American  

[plangk-tuhn] / ˈplæŋk tən /

noun

1. the aggregate of passively floating, drifting, or somewhat motile organisms occurring in a body of water, primarily comprising microscopic algae and protozoa.

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plankton British  

/ plæŋkˈtɒnɪk, ˈplæŋktən /

noun

1. the organisms inhabiting the surface layer of a sea or lake, consisting of small drifting plants and animals, such as diatoms Compare nekton

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plankton Scientific  

/ plăngk′tən /

1. Small organisms that float or drift in great numbers in bodies of salt or fresh water. Plankton is a primary food source for many animals, and consists of bacteria, protozoans, certain algae, cnidarians, tiny crustaceans such as copepods, and many other organisms.

2. Compare benthos nekton

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Other Word Forms

• planktonic adjective

Etymology

Origin of plankton

1890–95; < German, special use of neuter of Greek planktós drifting, equivalent to plang-, variant stem of plázesthai to drift, roam, wander + -tos verbid suffix

Example Sentences

Some cichlids evolved into predators, while others specialized in feeding on algae, sifting sand, or consuming plankton.

From Science Daily

According to a study led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and published in Geology, new species of plankton emerged less than 2,000 years after the impact.

From Science Daily

By converting nitrogen into different chemical forms in seawater, these microbes regulate the growth of microbial plankton.

From Science Daily

Sometimes for a whole day they talked in sea lion grunts or frigate bird squawks or plankton wiggles.

From Literature

When climate models leave out calcifying plankton, they may miss key steps in the global carbon cycle.

From Science Daily